Urban Suburban Mommy

Tag Archives: rice

Salmon to the rescue!

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes, Domestic Goodness .

Salmon is one of those foods we don’t always have on the meal plan. It seems to intimidate us slightly because we’re not sure….how to get it just perfect. The perception that it takes too much time – sometimes it’s just to “fancy” for a weeknight dinner

All of these assumptions are false. (You know what they say about assuming…)

Salmon is full of Omega-3 so it’s a great addition to your meal plan. Salmon can be on your table, ready to eat in less than 30 minutes

What you need to know:  

Atlantic vs. Pacific Salmon

30 Minute Meal Solution: Baked Salmon and Green Beans

What you need:

– Salmon Fillets (frozen or fresh)  TIP: for frozen fillets look for “Flash Frozen”
– 4-6 fillets (110g each)placed on a sheet pan (or stoneware as demonstrated in video)
– 4 Cups green beans, cut and washed
– 1 tbsp Garlic & Herb Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning)
– 2 tbsp Oil
– Salt / pepper

– Optional: thinly sliced lemon and onions (1/4 of a white onion)

What you do:

Watch the video (caution: it was our VERY FIRST VIDEO EVER!! so patience with the camera work) or see directions below.

  1. Pre-heat Oven to 400° F
  2. Oil or Butter Pan if needed (if using stoneware, no prep necessary)
  3. Place Salmon fillets towards one end of pan, leaving a little gap between each fillet.
    – TIP:  Fold over any thin pieces and secure with a toothpick (this avoids drying out of those ends)
  4. Season fillets with salt pepper and if using the “optional” ingredients, add onions and lemon slices to the salmon.
  5. Place beans in a large mixing bowl, add oil, seasoning, salt & pepper.  Mix well.
  6. Pour Beans on to the empty area of pan (they can extend into the salmon area if needed)
  7. Place pan  at about 1/2 height in your oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, checking the salmon for completion. When slicing into salmon should be a solid colour right through.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Compliment with rice (here’s our Fool-proof rice) or salad if desired.

So make Salmon a part of your regular meal plan!

Have a great day!

Danielle Reid


Danielle’s Pampered Kitchen..Healthy Meals in Minutes

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Easy peanut sauce

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

I love peanut sauce. When I go for Thai food I usually end up ordering an extra two or three sides of peanut sauce. It’s one of those flavours that I just can’t get enough of. Some people are like this with Swiss Chalet sauce, some people are like this with plum sauce, I’m like this with peanut sauce. I think part of it was that I so rarely got to have Thai food that it was a real treat. Continue reading →

Superfast seafood delight

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .
superfast seafood delight

superfast seafood delightYou either like seafood or you don’t. My boys and I love almost anything out of the ocean – but my husband won’t have any of it. (Unless it’s battered, fried and served with chips and vinegar. So, basically, no seafood.)

Since the boys and I love seafood, I make this dish when the hubby is working late and we’re short on time. It’s so easy, fast and flexible on the variation of flavours you can create.

What you need:

– 1 pound of frozen mixed seafood (premixed bags available in the freezer section)
– 3 tablespoons butter
– salt and pepper
– 1 clove of garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
– rice (here’s our fool-proof rice)

What you do:

superfast seafood delightPrepare rice and set aside. You can use plain rice or take this up a notch by making lemongrass rice, ginger rice or even curry rice. It’s easy to flavour rice, just add a teaspoon or two of your favourite spice to the water when you cook your rice. Or, if you prefer, toss the cooked rice with some soy.

In a frying pan over high heat, melt the butter and add salt, pepper and garlic. When it’s melted, add the mixed seafood. Most grocery stores carry bags of frozen mixed seafood. I always keep a bag in the freezer for this meal. Our mix has shrimp, mussels, calamari and octopus. Yes, my boys love all of these. You can pick your favourite mix.

superfast seafood delightThere will be some water coming off of the frozen seafood. Let the seafood boil in it until the liquid boils off. You may want to turn down the heat when it’s almost boiled off, or watch carefully and keep tossing to ensure it doesn’t burn.

Top off rice with mixed seafood and serve.

This recipe is very basic, garlic goes with most seafood, but try different flavours:

Coconut curry: Substitute butter for coconut oil and add a heaping teaspoon of curry paste or curry powder to the mix.

Jerk seafood: I have a great jerk spice mix and add a heaping tablespoon to the mix. Note that frying cayenne can cause burning eyes and hurts to breath in, so watch carefully and don’t burn the mixture. I add the jerk seasoning when the liquid is almost boiled off and toss for 20 seconds before removing from heat and serving.

Blackbean garlic sauce: If you’re a fan of blackbean garlic sauce, then you know the jar and have one in the fridge for just such an occasion. When the liquid is reducing, turn down the heat to medium and add two heaping tablespoons to the pan and mix well.

I think I’m going to look for a Spanish Paella version next. Give it a try and let us know what your fave is!